Ironing table with extensible ironing board surface



B. BUTLER July 31, 1962 IRONING TABLE WITH EXTENSIBLE IRONING BOARD SURFACE Filed April 20, 1961 INVENTOR.

BERNADETTE BUT LE R ATTOR N EY United States Patent 3,046,682 IRONING TABLE WITH EXTENSIBLE IRONING BOARD SURFACE Bernadette Butler, 120 Wellbroock Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. Filed Apr. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 104,453 8 Claims. (Cl. 38-138) This invention relates to ironing boards and a primary object is the provision of an adjustable ironing board or table whose Width is adapted to be increased from its normal width when in retracted position to two selective greater widths when, respectively, one side or both sides are extended.

Ironing boards of standard or normal width are suitable for a good part of the ironing normally done by the housewife, but for ironing flatwork such as, for example, bed sheets the usual narrow board is unsatisfactory for obvious reasons. The present invention makes possible the enlargement to substantially greater width of the board surface while maintaining the enlarged surface wholly in a common plane. Moreover, whether the board surface is in its extended position or not, the board is at all times maintained in stability. Provision is further made for collapse of the board and the legs supporting the same for easy carrying and storing the entire table in a relatively small space.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an ironing board supported on collapsible legs having additionally a longitudinal panel normally positioned underneath the board and retained there but readily and easily extensible selectively in the plane of the board to increase the area of the board either by one such panels width or by the width of both panels.

The above as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended primarily for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the details shown or described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a side eleva tional view of an ironing table with the ironing board in normally unextended position.

FIG. 2 is a front end elevational view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same, with parts broken away.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3, with parts omitted.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing one of the side panels in extended position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 3, with parts omitted.

FIG. 7 is a view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2

but showing one of the two legs which support each of the side panels when the latter are in extended position and how that leg rests upon a lateral extension or foot of one of the two mutually pivoted main legs which support the main ironing board.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the main or central ironing board whose one end is shown elongated at 11; whether this end is tapered as shown, or rounded, not shown, is of course a matter of choice.

The main board 10 is supported upon two mutually hinged collapsible legs 12, 13 which are pivoted together intermediate their length at 14. One leg, for example the leg 13, is pivoted to 15 to a transverse member 16 secured in any desired manner to the underside of the board 10. A similar transverse member 17 is secured to the underside of the table at or near the end thereof to which the member 16 is secured, and the latter may be provided with a cut-out or socket 18 for registration therein of the upper end of the leg 12 when the legs are extended to support the board 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The lower ends of the main legs 12 and 13 are T-shaped,ithat is, they are provided with transverse feet 19, shown clearly in FIG. 2. It is apparent that the legs 12 and 13 may readily be collapsed by first lifting the leg 12 out of the socket 18 and then folding them against the underside of the table top.

Extensible side panels 20 and 21 are provided on the board 10 and they are normally positioned under opposite sides of the board 10 as indicated in full lines in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, as well as being shown in FIG. 1. In their extended positions, shown in broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 3, and, for the panel 21 only, in FIG. 4, the panels lie in the same plane as the board 10 and snugly engage the longitudinaledges of the board, thus providing a continuous flat top surface to the enlarged board.

The ends of the transverse members 16 and 17 serve as limit stops to the movement of the panels 20 and 21 when they are positioned under the board, and coiled springs 22 and 23 draw the side panels inward into the said limit stop positions. These springs are both shown attached at one end to a screw 24 intermediate the width of the board 10 and at their other ends to screws 25 secured to the undersides of the panels near the inner longitudinal edges of the panels. As shown in FIG. 4, as the panel (21 in this figure) moves from the extended position of FIG. 5 to the retracted position of FIG. 4, the spring 23 bends downward.

As both panels are linked to the board 10 in the same manner, each by two sets of linkage 26 spaced longitudinally from each other, but one such set will be described in detail. Secured to each panel is a flat plate 27 having a link 23 pivoted thereto at 29. A similar plate 7 ing through the spaced holes in the plate and being an-' chored in the board by means, for example, of screw threads on the upper ends, not shown. Coiled springs 34 surround the pins 36 between the head 35 and the plate 30, FIGS. 4 and 5, and thus normally urge the plate 30 against the board 10. The plate 30 has a link 31 pivoted thereto at 32; the two links '28 and 31 are pivoted together at 33.

As stated before, the normal unextended position of the board surface is shown in FIGS. 14 in full lines. In order to increase the ironing surface on one side of the board, for example the lower side, FIG. 3, the panel 21 is pulled to the right, FIG. 4 until its inner edge is clear of the edge of the board 10, and it is then lifted into the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 4 and in full lines in FIG. 5. The linkage -26 prevents lifting the panel above the level of the board 10, as is obvious. During this operation the panel is pulled out against the resistance of the adjacent spring 23, and this spring maintains the panel snugly against the edge of the board, FIG. 5, so that the combined board and panel provide a smooth ironing surface. Further, during this operation, the plate 30 is moved upward from its position in FIG. 4 to that in FIG. 5, by the springs 34. To restore the panel 21 back to the position thereof shown in full lines in FIG. 4, it is pulled away from the board 10 a suflicient distance to permit lowering it below the board whence the spring 23 pulls it in against the members 16, 17 while the spring 23 bends downward to the position shown in FIG. 4 and the plate 30 is moved downward, through thelink-age 26,

the latter as a whole being stiff and resisting bending out of its plane.

The opposite panel 20 is similarly moved from collapsed to extended position to provide an even large continuous ironing surface when desired. The combined force of the springs 22, 23 together with the stiffness of the linkages 26 are sufiicient to maintain the panels 20, 21 in the extended positions shown in the case of light work done with a light-weight iron. However, for heavier work and the use of a heavier iron, it is desirable to add further support to the extended panels to prevent them from moving or tilting out of the plane of the board 10. This is accomplished by having two auxiliary legs 37, 38 pivoted at one end under opposite longitudinal ends of each panel, the pivots of these legs being indicated at 39.

.When not in use these legs are folded up against the undersides of the panels and retained thereby spring clips of standard construction shown at 40 only in FIGS. 3 and 6, attached to the undersides of the panels in, for example, the position shown in FIG. 3.

In order to prevent slipping out of the vertical of the auxiliary legs 37, 38 their lower ends are preferably rounded concavely as shown at 41, and the transverse bottom members or feet 19 of the main legs 12, 13 are complementarily cylindrical to register in the concave sockets 41 when the auxiliary legs are extended to vertical position. Rubber or like plugs 42 may be provided at or near the ends of the feet 19 to contact the floor to give greater stability to the entire device when in use.

While the invention has :been described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing such is not to be deemed to impart limitations upon the invention which is best defined in the appended claims.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An ironing table comprising a main ironing board having main legs supporting the same and means for widening the ironing area of the table comprising a panel normally in a position under the board adjacent one longitudinal edge of the board adapted to be pulled out laterally from said position and raised to a position in the plane of the board with a longitudinal edge of the panel in contact with said longitudinal edge of the board, alternately extensible and retractable means connecting the panel to the board for supporting the panel when extended in said second-named position and for supporting said panel when retracted in said first-named position, and resilient means normally urging the panel laterally into either of said positions, said connecting means comprising a linkage having one end pivoted to the underside of the panel, the board having at least one headed pin extending downwardly from the underside thereof, a bracket slidably mounted on said pin and having the other end of said linkage pivoted thereto, and a coiled spring surrounding said pin between the head thereon and said bracket.

2. An ironing table comprising a main ironing board having main legs supporting the same and means for widening the ironing area of the table comprising a panel normally in a position under the board adjacent one longitudinal edge of the board adapted to be pulled out laterally from said position and raised to a position in the plane of the board with a longitudinal edge of the panel in contact with said longitudinal edge of the board, alternately extensible and retractable means connecting the panel to the board for supporting the panel when extended in said second-named position and for supporting said panel when retracted in said first-named position, and resilient means normally urging the panel laterally into either of said positions, said panel having auxiliary legs pivoted at their upper ends to opposite ends of the panel on the underside thereof, said auxiliary legs being normally positioned in swung-upward position under and substantially parallel with the panel, releasable means for retaining the auxiliary legs in said position, said main legs having elongated transverse members on their lower ends constituting feet, said auxiliary legs having a length such that when swung into downwardly extending position their lower ends rest upon said feet.

3. An ironing table comprising a main ironing board having main legs supporting the same and means for widening the ironing area of the table comprising a panel normally in a position under the board adjacent one longitudinal edge of the board adapted to be pulled out laterally from said position and raised to a position in the plane of the board with a longitudinal edge of the panel in contact with said longitudinal edge of the board, alternately extensible and retract-able means connecting the panel to the board for supporting the panel when extended in said second-named position and for supporting said panel when retracted in said first-named position, and resilient means normally urging the panel laterally into either of said positions, said connecting means comprising a linkage having one end pivoted to the underside of the panel, the board having at least one headed pin extending downwardly from the underside thereof, a bracket slidably mounted on said pin and having the other end of said linkage pivoted thereto, a coiled spring surrounding said pin between the head thereon and said bracket, said resilient means comprising a coiled spring having one end thereof secured to the underside of the board and the other end thereof secured to the underside of the panel.

4. An ironing table including a main ironing board and main legs supporting the same, at least one extension panel adapted to provide a wider ironing surface than that provided by the board along normally positioned under said board adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof and having substantially the same thickness as the board, limit stop means secured to the underside of the board limiting the lateral position of the panel with respect to said longitudinal edge of the board, resilient means secured at one end thereof to the underside of the board and at the other end thereof to the underside of the panel normally urging the panel to said limit stop position, the board having at least one elongated headed pin secured to the underside thereof and extending downward therefrom, a linkage lying in a plane parallel with the board having one end pivoted to the underside of the panel, a plate slidably mounted on said pin and having the other end of the linkage pivoted thereto, a coiled spring surrounding said pin between said plate and the head on the pin and normally urging the plate upward toward the underside of the board, the panel being adapted to be pulled laterally outward against the force of said resilient means to clear said longitudinal edge of the board and then raised into a position in the plane of the board thereby raising said one end of the linkage whence said resilient means urges the adjacent longitudinal edge of the panel against said longitudinal edge of the board, said coiled spring during said raising of the panel moving said plate and hence said other end of the linkage upward against the board, said linkage and said resilient means thereby maintaining the panel in said raised position.

5. An ironing table according to claim 4, said panel having two auxiliary legs pivoted at their upper ends to opposite ends of the panel on the underside of the panel adapted when positioned substantially vertically to provide added support to the raised panel, the auxiliary legs being adapted to be swung upward into parallelity with the panel, and means for releasably locking the auxiliary legs in the swung-upward position.

6. An ironing table according to claim 5, said main legs having elongated transverse members at their lower ends constituting feet, said auxiliary legs having a length such that when swung downward into substantially vertical position their lower ends rest upon said feet, and mutually releasable interlocking means on said feet and said lower ends of the auxiliary legs.

7. An ironing table according to claim 6, said lastnamed means comprising concave cut-outs in the lower ends of said auxiliary legs, said feet having a cylindrical conformation and registering in said cut-outs.

8. An ironing table comprising a main ironing board having main legs supporting the same and means for widening the ironing area of the table comprising a panel normally in a position under the board adjacent one longitudinal edge of the board adapted to be pulled out laterally from said position and raised to a position in the plane of the board with a longitudinal edge of the panel in contact with said longitudinal edge of the board, a1- ternately extensible and retractable means connecting the panel to the board for supporting the panel when extended in said second-named position and for supporting the panel when retracted in said first-named position, resilient means normally urging the panel laterally into either of said positions, resilient means normally urging the panel upward, and limit stop means limiting the upward movement of the panel by said last-named resilient means when the panel is pulled out from said retracted position, to said raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wise Oct. 6, 1908 900,459 1,883,176 Walter Oct. 18, 1932 2,106,422 Dahl Jan. 25, 1938 2,229,320 Balzano Jan. 21, 1941 2,772,131 Cooper Nov. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,169,471 France Sept. 8, 1958 

